Pharaonic Reviews

[h2]Pharaonic, a review in 2025[/h2] It’s a bit late to write this review, but it might still be useful for someone interested in this game in 2025. This 2.5D action/soulslike game, set in ancient Egypt, has some notable strengths but is hindered by several issues that prevent it from reaching its full potential. After three playthroughs to experiment and unlock all achievements, here are my thoughts: [h3]Pros[/h3] [list] [*][b]Visually Striking Setting[/b]: The combination of the art style and ancient Egyptian theme is immersive and captivating. [*][b]Solid 1v1 Combat[/b]: Combat in one-on-one encounters feels responsive and satisfying. [*][b]Varied Combat Mechanics[/b]: Attacks can be parried, blocked, or dodged, adding some variety and skill to the combat system. However, this could have been explored further. [*][b]Decent Item Variety[/b]: For a short game, there’s a good amount of gear and items to discover. [*][b]Fun Moments[/b]: At its best, the game “clicks” and delivers genuinely enjoyable gameplay. [*][b]Traps[/b]: Certain environmental traps allow you to outsmart enemies, dealing significant damage. I’d have loved more of these interactive elements. [/list] [h3]Cons[/h3] [list] [*][b]Cryptic Item Descriptions[/b]: Item descriptions are often vague, making their purpose and their specific stat boosts unclear. [*][b]Repetitive Builds[/b]: Despite encouraging diverse builds with light/heavy weapons and armor, most builds feel similar, boiling down to managing stamina for attack strings, dodging, blocking, or parrying. [*][b]Lackluster Packs[/b]: Packs (abilities) are disappointing, with only stamina regeneration or damage-boosting packs feeling really viable. [*][b]Unbalanced Weapons[/b]: Some light weapons shine with fast, powerful attack spam (e.g., R2 movesets), making them highly effective after a dodge with a stamina pack. Heavy weapons, however, feel sluggish, exposing you to risk against dodging enemies, and no heavy weapon felt rewarding enough to justify its slow swings. [*][b]Inconsistent Level Design[/b]: Simple layouts work well, but some areas, like the [i]Crystal Caves[/i], are frustratingly maze-like. Doors teleport you unpredictably, making navigation confusing. Simpler, cohesive exploration would have been better. [*][b]Poor Map System[/b]: The map is nearly useless and would’ve been better omitted. [*][b]Awkward Gank Fights[/b]: Multi-enemy encounters feel clunky. Enemies line up to attack, sometimes throwing out-of-range hits that chain into hard-to-escape combos. Rolling through enemies often leads to punishment, forcing you to accept unavoidable damage and focus on trading blows. [*][b]Untactical Bosses[/b]: Boss fights lack the tactical depth expected given the player’s movement options. [*][b]Unrewarding Parries[/b]: Parrying doesn’t feel impactful. A full stamina regeneration after a successful parry would have made it more rewarding without being overpowered. [*][b]Clunky Heavy Builds[/b]: Heavy weapon + heavy armor combos are underwhelming. Enemies dodge heavy swings easily, draining stamina and leaving you vulnerable. Blocking with heavy shields to set up attacks feels slow and tedious, though parrying helps land a hit during enemy recovery. [*][b]Flat Leveling System[/b]: The leveling system lacks depth, making progression feel uninspired. [/list] [h3]Final Thoughts[/h3] While the cons outweigh the pros, there are moments when the game’s simplicity and combat shine, delivering fun and engaging gameplay. Unfortunately, it often feels [i]clunky[/i], [i]messy[/i], and lacking in variety. A greater focus on tactical 1v1 or 2v1 combat, with more movement options, unique weapon movesets, and compact, polished level design, could have elevated this game significantly. [h3]Score[/h3] [b]5.5/10[/b]